oxford university hospitals · anne marie van es – winner patient safety award andrew woodhouse...

Oxford University HospitalsNHS Trust

Issue 6

News from around the John Radcliffe Hospital, Horton General Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Churchill Hospital

Prime Minister visits Children’s

Hospital

page 5

Accolade for NOC nurse

page 3

Theatres craned into

place

page 15

OUH FLU CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED – see page 7 for more details.

December 2012

Olympic statues at the Children’s Hospital – see page 17

www.ouh.nhs.uk

2 Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust

Your views welcomeWelcome to the

newsletter of Oxford University

Hospitals NHS Trust.

We hope you will continue to contribute your news and articles

from your teams, departments and divisions and look forward to publicising them in the newsletter.

All items for publishing should be sent to Kelly Dodgson in the

Media and Communications Unit, Level 3, John Radcliffe Hospital

01865 231471. Alternatively email [email protected]

Copies of OUH News are circulated widely throughout the Trust

via special news vendor stands. Individual copies can be sent on

request.

Designed by Oxford Medical Illustration 01865 220900.

News about the John Radcliffe Hospital,

Horton General Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

and Churchill Hospital.

Nurse of the Year Award

Ria Betteridge – Winner

Team of the Year Award

Bone Infection & Limb Reconstruction – Winner

Estates Team

Orthopaedic Admissions Team

Orthotics Team

Sarcoma Team

Patient Recognition Award

Ann Deacon

Anne Marie Van Es – Winner

Patient Safety Award

Andrew Woodhouse

Chad Zuriekat – Winner

Academic Achievements

Hannah Gunn

Kate Jones

Okello Mildred

Jo Pierce

Outstanding Individual Recognition Award

Mandy Reid – Winner

Outstanding Achievement Award

Jan Bayliss

Sarah Davies – Winner

Mark Gray

Tony Hudgell

Mary Knott – Winner

Rachel Marsden – Winner

Elizabeth Handfield-Jones

Emma Bloomfield – Winner

Emma Bradley

Clare McKenzie

Kathleen Reilly

Jackie Sherwood

Ponsonby Travelling

Heather Appleton

Emma Bradley – Winner

Clare McKenzie – Winner

Jackie Sherwood – Winner

Louise Way – Winner

Fielden Nursing

Heather Appleton – Winner

Kerri Rance – Winner

Girdlestone Memorial

Rachael Marsden

Lord Nuffield in Aftercare

Jonathan Room – Winner

Christine Gosling

Doris Hughes

Rosemary Hill – Winner

Sue Phillips

Sarah Davies

Mary Knott

Catherine Barry

Carol Humphreys Memorial

Jonathan Room

Lizelle Sander-Danby – Winner

Joanna Sheeham

Zoe Dandridge

Individual Recognition Award

Ausonia An-Cabia

Annette Cornish

Julie Damnjanovic

Sarah Davies

Jon Edmunds

Mark Gray

Martin Harris

Tony Hudgell

Antony Hughed

Jennifer Jones

Suyin Mills

Louise Morgan

Lesley Warner

Lucy Wood

Speaking Up CharterThe NHS Employers organisation has launched the Speaking Up Charter, a commitment by health regulators, health unions, professional associations and representative professional bodies to work in partnership and ensure that staff feel supported when raising a safety concern or issue. This new guidance follows on from a whistleblowing summit held in May 2012. More information, including tools and resources, is available from www.nhsemployers.org

Roll of honour for NOC awards

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust 3

The event saw the NOC’s Tissue Viability nurse Ria Betteridge

receive top honour by being crowned Nurse of the Year 2012.

Ria has worked at the NOC since 2008 as the Tissue Viability Advanced Nurse Practitioner, and has been instrumental in improving care for patients in all areas of tissue viability practice.

The NOC’s ‘Celebrating Success’ awards, now in their twelfth year, highlight the achievements of all staff in the musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Division. More than 60 staff members’ achievements were recognised in a number of areas including Long Service, Scholarships, Academic Achievements, Team of the Year and the Nurse of the Year.

Ria was presented with her award by the OUH’s Deputy Chief Nurse, Liz Wright, and was chosen for this award because of her dedication, expertise and the difference she has made to patient care.

Sarah Kidd-May, Divisional Nurse for the Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Division explained: “ I was delighted but not at all surprised to find that Ria had been nominated for the Nurse of the Year award. Ria is an exceptional leader whose proactive approach and determination has successfully focused all staff’s attention on the area of tissue viability, which has improved the care and outcomes for patients.”

Pictured above is the Team of the Year from the Bone Infection Unit.

Top Team recognised at hospital award ceremony

Ria Betteridge withMARS Divisional Director

Professor Andrew Carr

Ria is Nurse of the Year

An annual celebration of staff achievements for the Trust’s Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Division took place at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in October.


Working together to achieve Quality

Managers and clinical leads came together at a workshop to develop our trust-wide priorities for improving quality for all services provided by Oxford University Hospitals.

The Trust Board has approved a new Quality Strategy aimed at building high quality healthcare based on national and international comparisons and to improve our performance in three key domains:

• Patient Safety

• Patient Experience

• Clinical Effectiveness and Outcomes

The workshop was attended by more than 80 staff from across the divisions with the aim of setting the organisation’s quality priorities for the next five years. The divisional management teams have been set the task of determining the local priorities across the three key domains and to ensure that they align with the Trust’s overall quality goals.

Chief Executive Sir Jonathan Michael told the workshop:

“Our patients will be expecting quality to be embedded in everything we do. We have just under one million patient contacts every year and we all need to understand not only what quality means to us as healthcare professionals, but also what matters to our patients.

“Our objectives are to define what we mean by quality at all levels and how do we deliver it locally in pursuit of the best patient-centred care.”

The workshop focused on developing a common understanding of the Trust’s quality goals and identifying ways to develop local team-based priorities for improving quality. Equally important is how we monitor and measure our success in delivering quality and provide assurance that we are achieving our priorities while managing and minimising risk. The Trust provides many services that are regarded as high quality, but this is not consistent for all services and frequently objective benchmarks of quality are not available to support this.

The Trust’s Medical Director Professor Ted Baker, who led the workshop, said:

“During consultation on our Quality Strategy, staff said that they wanted our goals to be ambitious. It is these goals that will stretch us and help us to achieve our vision for quality and continuous improvement.

“Over the coming months, we must articulate our five year quality vision and support staff in identifying the local priorities that will make a real difference to patient safety, patient experience and outcomes.”

Workshop sets out path to our ‘Vision for Quality’

Clinical Effectiveness and Outcomes –

the Trust will:

1. lead the way in developing better ways to provide treatment and to measure patient outcomes

2. measure the outcome of the treatment we provide

3. use outcome measures to improve all our services

4. have clinical outcomes in the top 10% nationally for all clinical services.

Patient Experience –

the Trust will:

1. share feedback from our patients with public and stakeholders and use it to improve all our services

2. listen and learn from patients and act to provide the best possible patient experience

3. be rated in the top 10% of hospitals for patient and staff experience.

Patient Safety –

the Trust will:

1. be one of the safest patient care providers

2. reduce year-on-year patient and staff harmful events

3. be one of the top five hospitals for low mortality.

We want to be:• recognised as one the UK’s highest

quality healthcare providers. All our clinical services will provide high quality healthcare; some will provide care that is internationally outstanding.

Goals to be achieved by 2017


Oxford Children’s Hospital hosted a very special visitor in October – Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Cameron’s visit was timed to coincide with the announcement of a £140m funding package for new technology for nurses and midwives, designed to allow them to spend more time with patients.

Mr Cameron was welcomed by the Chief Executive of the Trust, Sir Jonathan Michael, Non executive Director Sir John Bell, and Chief Nurse Elaine Strachan-Hall.

The Prime Minister was taken to meet staff and patients at Melanie’s Ward, where he spent nearly an hour. Mr Cameron went behind the nurses’ station, and was interested to learn more about technology currently being used by nurses – and about the different colours of the nurses’ uniforms.

Mr Cameron was photographed with two patients, Shingai and Libertie, and met other patients on the ward. He also spent time with Matron Angela Houlston and Ward Sister Zoe Pooley, discussing a range of issues, including the use of IT to enhance nursing, and the needs of teenagers in hospital. The Prime Minister was also shown the model MRI scanner that is used to explain to children what is going to happen to them, reducing the need for a general anaesthetic.

Elaine Strachan-Hall said afterwards: “It was a delightful opportunity to showcase excellence in nursing. We welcomed the Prime Minister to Melanie’s Ward, where nurses need to have high levels of competence in order to care for patients with different disease processes.

“Oxford Brookes students were also on the ward, illustrating our key role as a Trust in training the staff of the future.”

Prime Minister praises nursing practice


Mobile machine in SCBU provides instant resultsRadiology and SCBU have been provided with a new mobile direct radiography, x-ray machine to enable higher quality, instant diagnostic imaging of very sick babies at the cot-side.

The multi-million pound expansion of the Neonatal Unit at the John Radcliffe Maternity Unit will see the number of intensive care cots doubled from 10 to 20, meaning staff at the hospital will be able to provide intensive care for the very sickest babies across the Thames Valley. This will result in an increase in the number of imaging requests.

The new mobile machine works by placing an x-ray plate into a built-in tray situated directly beneath the body of the cot, allowing radiographers to provide an instant higher quality diagnostic image without needing babies to be moved too much.

The new machine means that images will be visible instantly before being sent to the hospital PACS system, allowing clinicians in SCBU to make a diagnosis more quickly.

Educational clinics provide further support for chemotherapy patientsPatients receiving certain types of oral chemotherapy treatment (tablets) for cancers, such as breast and colorectal will now benefit from educational clinics about their medicines as part of the treatment pathway.

In May, Professor Nicola Stoner, Consultant Pharmacist in Oncology, re-instigated a sub-group of the chemotherapy operational group, called the oral chemotherapy group. The group, a multi-disciplinary team, focuses on implementing guidance and improving the care and access to information available to patients receiving oral chemotherapy.

One of the decisions made was to implement group educational clinics for patients in the first stages of chemotherapy treatment, enabling patients to find out more about the medicines they will be taking before they start treatment and tackle any queries or concerns they might have.

The clinics operate once a week and are currently run by pharmacist Evelyn Chan, but will also be jointly nurse-led as the service grows.

Patients will be referred by medical staff after their consultations to discuss their treatment pathway, and will be given information packs with useful contact numbers and information about side-effects. They will also be able to pick up their initial prescription and have the opportunity to speak with the pharmacist or nurse one-on-one and receive an individual treatment plan.

Professor Stoner said: “This new service ensures that patients are appropriately educated about their oral anti-cancer medicines to ensure we optimise their medicines and minimise unnecessary hospital admissions. It is very important for patients to know how to manage the side effects of their treatment and who to contact at the hospital if they have problems with their medication.”

Head of midwifery Jane Hervé is conducting a review into working practices at the Cotswold Maternity Unit at Chipping Norton.

A number of actions have already been taken and a temporary suspension of births has been imposed, to enable a full review of the unit to be completed.

As part of this process, Ms Hervé will engage with staff, local mothers, new

parents and representatives of the Maternity Services Liaison Committee

The unit will remain staffed and open during the day to provide women and their families with antenatal support, breastfeeding advice and support, babies’ hearing tests and postnatal care.

Jane Hervé has stressed that the suspension of births was only temporary, and the unit will re-open

once the review has been completed. It is anticipated that this could take three months, at which point the Trust will consider the findings and the next steps.

Among the issues being investigated are an increase in the number of transfers to other hospitals, and decline in the number of babies being born at the unit.

Temporary closure at Cotswold Maternity Unit


The Trust is again participating in the national NHS staff seasonal flu vaccination campaign which seeks to vaccinate at least 70% of all frontline staff. It is encouraging all of its 11,000 staff to protect themselves, their patients and their families by having the flu jab, and is running staff flu clinics across all of its four hospital sites.

In support of this, the Trust is hoping that patients and their families will also encourage staff to be vaccinated as part of the ‘Me, flu and you’ campaign

Credit card-sized cards and posters are being distributed encouraging patients to ask staff if they have had their flu jab this winter. More than 47% of our frontline hospital staff have been immunised, with 5,000 vaccinations by the 5th week of the campaign.

New wheelchair scales for the NOC

Helen Stradling, mum-to-be and Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist

at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, is championing Oxford University Hospitals’ 2012 flu vaccination campaign.

Helen (pictured) said: “Cancer patients are vulnerable to winter flu and having the vaccine reduces the chances I might catch flu at home and give it to my patients at work.”

Helen, who is due to give birth in January, is also promoting the importance of pregnant women having the flu vaccination. Women can be vaccinated at any stage during their pregnancy. The vaccination helps protect them and the pregnancy, and also helps to protect the baby against the virus for the first few months of its life.

The Trust’s Deputy Medical Director Dr Tony Berendt said: “For the majority of people who catch it, flu is only unpleasant. For some, however, it can lead to chest infections, severe

complications and even death. We are asking all staff at the OUH to get vaccinated.

“The campaign isn’t just about keeping the individual staff member safe; it's about protecting patients, colleagues and families too. You can pass the virus on to others before developing symptoms yourself, so it makes sense not to risk the lives of vulnerable patients or your own health.”

The work of staff at the Pre-operative Assessment Clinic at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre is being assisted by the addition of a new piece of equipment, a set of wheelchair weighing scales.

The scales, which allow patients to be weighed while remaining in their wheelchairs, are of particular help to those patients unable to stand on a normal set of scales, through disability or other factors.

The scales were purchased following an application for funding to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre League of Friends. The cost was approximately £1,200.

POAC and OPD Sister Wendy Perrin explained: “We were having to take patients to OCE or borrow scales, which was quite inconvenient and time consuming. Lorelyn Tuazon, a Clinical Support Auxiliary Nurse on the department, made the application, and the League of Friends approved it.”

She said that the scales had proved a great help to both staff and patients. “It saves time, and they can be used by any patients who find it difficult to stand on scales,” she added.

The wheelchair scales have been installed close to the PALS desk, and Wendy said that other departments were welcome to use them.

Staff urged to have flu jabTrust launches new campaign called ‘Me, flu and you’.

Helen Stradling is vaccinated by Occupational Health Advisor Linda Ramsbottom.


An innovative initiative from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre’s Sport and Exercise Medicine Department to encourage the over-50s to become more active will be launched officially on 21 January.

The service, launched jointly with Age UK Oxfordshire, is called Generation Games, and has been commissioned by the NHS Oxfordshire (PCT) Active Ageing Service.

Developed by Dr Julia Newton and Dr Natasha Jones, the new service is designed to offer a network of exercise opportunities to promote increased participation in regular physical activity by older people in the county. It has been commissioned initially as a three-year project.

Dr Jones said: “We want staff across the Trust, and particularly doctors and nurses, to promote the service to their patients. We are going to do an education programme to explain how it works and the benefits.”

The programme is also linked to a number of research projects in collaboration with the universities of Oxford and Bath to evaluate the effectiveness of Generation Games and its potential to be rolled out at a national level.

The Sports and Exercise Medicine Department spent a year working with Age UK Oxfordshire to identify areas of need. As part of the development of Generation Games, Age UK Oxfordshire evaluated exercise opportunities for older people, from small clubs, organised walks and classes, through to bigger gyms.

The team at the NOC developed software which can measure a patient’s current level of activity, their co-mobility, motivation to change and safety to exercise, then streamlining them into exercise opportunities based on patient’s preferences.

Patients can access the service directly either by visiting www.generationgames.org.uk , through Age UK Oxfordshire, or talking to their GP or healthcare adviser.

Churchill Hospital chosen for new cancer care initiativeIn a ground-breaking initiative, the Churchill Hospital has been chosen to pilot a unique cancer patient care programme, which, if successful, will roll out across the rest of the country.

‘Linda’s Great Lengths’ hair loss support workshops have been created by cancer patient Linda Mayhew, in association with the National Cancer Action Team, and are designed to improve patient experience and care. The OUH’s Lead Oncology Nurse, Karen Mitchell, is helping to support and organise the workshops at the Trust. Patients, their families and carers are encouraged to attend the Churchill Hospital’s latest workshop in the Jane Ashley seminar room on the afternoon of 5 December.

The workshops provide patients with advice on managing hair loss, as well as support in choosing the perfect wig. The team includes Oxford’s award-winning hairdresser Anne Veck, who can also trim and personalise existing wigs, scarf-tying and head covering experts from The Way Ahead team from the League of Jewish Women, demonstrations and advice from TV beauty expert Georgina Heron on eyebrow and eyelash replacement, and Gill Ashwin, from Jacqueline’s wigs.

Interactive workshopsKaren Mitchell said: “The workshops are designed to give information as well as being interactive. Feedback from participants has been very positive. Individuals have appreciated the opportunity to explore hair loss and its effects with fellow patients in a safe and reassuring environment. The experience has helped boost self-confidence and morale.

“The input from the hair and beauty experts is invaluable, and we thank them for their time and commitment to the workshops.”

Happy birthday to Radio CherwellThe Trust’s hospital radio, Radio Cherwell marked its 45th birthday at the end of September with a weekend of celebrations to mark the event.

The station invited back volunteers to join the celebrations highlighting one of the most successful hospital radio stations in the country.

Radio Cherwell was launched on 30 September 1967, by John Simpson, a future BBC Radio Oxford presenter. He initially set up the station so that Oxford United fans who were too ill or injured to get to games could keep up with the action from their hospital beds.

Forty-five years on and Radio Cherwell is still going strong: the station’s chairman, Neil Stockton, who has been with the station for 40 years, was part of the weekend celebrations.


Retinal eye scanner for Eye HospitalThe Oxford Eye Hospital has been able to purchase a state-of-the-art retinal scanner for children, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the family of a patient.

Anthony Strain’s daughter Emma was born in March this year, with a rare genetic condition known as Incontinentia Pigmenti.

Emma suffered a further complication of IP, a detached retina for which she underwent an emergency operation performed by Mr CK Patel at the Eye Hospital. Prospects for vision in this eye remain poor, but it is hoped that the surgery will keep the eye alive. Emma was referred to Mr Patel as he was one of the few surgeons in the UK who could help Emma, given her age.

Mr Patel has been raising funds to purchase specialised cameras, which would give cutting-edge diagnostic capabilities in paediatrics. These cameras have recently been updated for adults and the Trust would like to continue to offer babies the same state-of-the-art advantages, something that Mr Patel has strived for since he was appointed a consultant at the hospital in 2001.

The cameras make it easier, safer and less painful to monitor the eyes of Emma and infants with similar eye problems and provide a clear image of the retina. This equipment will form a key part of Emma’s ongoing care as Mr Patel keeps a very close watch on her good eye. There are also the benefits for future infants who need such specialist attention and care. This will allow the Oxford Eye Hospital to remain a key centre for paediatric retinal care both in terms of service and research to prevent and treat blinding diseases of the retina.

In September, Mr Strain was joined by friends on a 100-mile walk from Southend University Hospital, where Emma was first treated, to the John Radcliffe site. The walk raised an incredible £17,751, smashing his £10,000 target. With Gift Aid the total comes to more than £21,000.

The Calibre ProgrammeThe Calibre Programme is a focused development programme for disabled staff. It has been designed specifically to develop and implement strategies that reflect the unique challenges and experiences of disabled academic and professional staff across all sectors.

This interactive programme is packed with alternative ways of looking at effectiveness and how to harness disability as strength. It will be full of practical strategies and innovative tools that can be used immediately in the workplace.

More information can be found here: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/equality/protectedcharacteristics/disabilities/calibreleadershipprogramme

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 2 January 2013. If you have any further questions regarding the course please contact Leyla Okhai at [email protected]

If you have any general questions or questions regarding funding, contact Vicki Parsons at [email protected] or Jan Cottle at [email protected]

Pictured with the new scanner are (left) Lewis Smith, Head of Opthalmic Imaging & Diagnostics, and

CK Patel, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon


Unique imaging centre opens for research in emergency careHeart attack and stroke together still kill more people than any other condition, including cancer. In Oxford though, we are fortunate to have the University of Oxford Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC), based on Level 2 of the John Radcliffe. The centre, which offers the latest technology for imaging and diagnostics during a heart attack or stroke, was opened officially on Monday 15 October.

Clinical Director of AVIC, Professor Robin Choudhury, explains that AVIC will help doctors understand much more precisely what is actually happening in the patient’s heart or brain at those crucial times during the heart attack or stroke. He believes that AVIC is unique worldwide in emergency medicine in having both a fully-equipped suite for treating blocked arteries and an MRI scanner, with patients transported smoothly and rapidly between the two. This is done almost at the push of a button, thanks to a mechanised system and rails laid into the floor. This means the patient isn’t disturbed from their position on the table, it saves time and makes it more streamlined for doctors to get all the imaging information they need.

Another important feature is that the centre is joined to the Emergency Department and is next to the Oxford Heart Centre. As a result, AVIC is embedded in the hospital environment: patients can be moved into AVIC with no loss of time and full support from specialised hospital care teams is ensured.

The new centre is a good example of how the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust work in partnership, leading to benefits for patients and providing a clear example of translational medicine – the process of bringing innovation from research to the patient’s bedside

The Oxford Academic Health Consortium The Oxford Academic Health Consortium is a collaborative partnership of Oxford-based organisations covering health and social care commissioning and service delivery, research, education and training:Partners include:

Learning Disabilities NHS TrustOxford Brookes UniversityOxford Health NHS Foundation TrustOxford University Hospitals NHS TrustOxfordshire Clinical Commissioning GroupOxfordshire and Buckinghamshire PCTOxfordshire County CouncilUniversity of Oxford

The aims of the partnership are to establish a strong consortium that develops and implements strategies to strengthen the existing Oxford academic and clinical partnerships, ensuring improvements in healthcare, effective translational research, and strengthened multi-professional education and teaching. The consortium will support the application for the Oxford Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) which will then provide the platform for a successful AHSC application in 2013.

Specific plans include:

• care pathways including management of delayed transfers of care, dementia and the care of the older person, nutrition, end of life care and stroke;

• knowledge transfer and translation of research (including research under the aegis of the BRC/BRU and other research collaborations between the NHS and universities);

• support for the small District General Hospital and the provision of services 24/7.

How will it work? A Consortium Board will be established, led by an independent Chair, consisting of the Chairs and Chief Executives of the respective NHS partners, together with the Vice Chancellors and Heads of Division/Schools of Oxford Brookes University, the University of Oxford and the Leader and Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council. It will be supported by the Executive Steering Group and working groups for individual projects.


Careers in healthcare science came under the microscope in October, when the Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health, Prof Sue Hill, visited the Trust.

Prof Hill, who oversees the work of 50,000 scientists in the NHS, met scientists at the John Radcliffe Hospital and delivered a talk on the ‘Modernising Scientific Careers in the NHS’ programme, which was launched in 2010 and which is designed to ensure flexibility, sustainability and modern career pathways for the healthcare science workforce, fit to address the needs of the future NHS.

Prof Berne Ferry, the Lead NHS Scientist in the Trust, who organised Prof Hill’s visit, said afterwards: “Scientists in the NHS are generally not well known about, but in reality, we are a highly skilled and very experienced body and our work has a huge impact on patient diagnosis. Although scientists in the OUH represent only 5% of staff, they contribute to over 80% of all patient diagnoses.”

The day also included a question-and-answer session with delegates, talks from NHS scientists, and an

opportunity for scientific trainees, from both inside the Trust and beyond, to offer views on how their training was going.

Chief Executive Sir Jonathan Michael said: “We need to ensure that we increase the profile of healthcare scientists, not just in this Trust, but also in the NHS as a whole, as key partners in the healthcare delivery programme, not only on the developmental innovation side of it, but actually in the delivery of healthcare, and to make sure that healthcare scientists are recognised for their vital contribution to the care of patients, which, after all, is what we are all about.”

Cancer support group launched for the TrustA new support group for people affected by mesothelioma has been launched.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura) and more rarely of the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Nine out of 10 mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos.

The aim of the group is to give patients with mesothelioma, their carers, relatives and friends the chance to meet and share experiences with others affected by the disease, to raise issues and ask questions and to give up-to-date, unbiased information on treatment and care and clinical research.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the group can contact Melanie Rogers, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Lung Cancer & Mesothelioma on (01865) 226119.

Patients at the Children’s Hospital had something to smile at in September – a performance of Dick Whittington arranged by the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Panto performance at the Children’s Hospital

Chief Scientist visits the Trust

Chief ExecutiveSir Jonathan Michael

with Professor Sue Hill.


News from Charitable Funds

Your hospital charity – it’s not just about cake sales and abseils.

ORH Charitable Funds, the hospitals’ charity, is made up of 600 individual funds – each helping to make the Trust a better place for patients and their families. From Ward Funds and medical research projects to large campaigns, the positive effects of these are felt every day by thousands of patients and staff.In the last financial year alone Charitable Funds spent £6.8 million on projects across the Trust.Patient welfare formed the biggest area of spending, at £2.6 million. Much of this was in the form of high-tech medical equipment, including a holmium laser for the Urology team, MRI vital sign monitors for the special care and neonatal units, an ultrasound system to benefit children and young adults needing cardiac care and research equipment for the Haematology Research Fund.Making wards and waiting rooms more comfortable and using creativity to help distract patients young and old is also hugely important. This can be as simple as a harpist playing live music to our older patients and making sure the hospitals have Christmas trees for the festive season, through to larger projects such as that in the Chemotherapy waiting room where art and design was used to make the area more calming and create privacy for patients. Over £1.7 million supported medical research across the Trust last year – allowing important research to take place into many medical conditions, including cancers, cardiac disorders, trauma recovery and pregnancy. Additional training and providing training facilities is also an area that

charitable funding supports strongly. £1.9 million was spent to allow staff of all levels to advance their knowledge and skills through the latest specialist courses and conferences in their fields. This also funded better education and training facilities here, including the development of an audio visual education centre at the Heart Centre. Before we can commit to all these great innovations we have to raise the funds. Fundraising events across the year and publicity for the charity are very important, but some of the largest donations come through less well known routes.Legacies left to the hospital charity are extremely important. Last year alone nearly £840,000 was received through gifts in wills to departments across the Trust, including the Churchill Hospital's Radiotherapy department, John Radcliffe's Gynaecology Unit, Horton General Hospital’s General Fund and the Renal Medicine Ward. Raising awareness of the importance of legacy donations remains a priority for the Fundraising Team. Regular donations through monthly giving is another area that can greatly boost fundraising totals over the years.Please do remember your hospital charity when someone next tells you they would like to “do something to help” or “put something back”, or if you would like to do something yourself.Put up your poster, give us a call, tell others about our events – or take part yourself, and together we can continue to make a tremendous difference across all our hospitals at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Charitable Funds team have created posters and leaflets that highlight the importance of fundraising to our hospitals. If your area doesn’t have any of these, do get in touch with the fundraising team, as something as simple as a poster in the right place can dramatically boost the amount raised for your ward, hospital department or research fund.

Find out more about fundraising across our hospitals by visiting www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity calling 01865 743444 or emailing [email protected]


The organ donation team provides a 24hr service covering all the critical/intensive care areas within the JR, Churchill and Horton sites and has been based on the JR site since 2006.

The team attends clinical areas to offer families and patients the choice of organ donation as part of end-of-life care.

They routinely check the Organ Donor Register for these patients so that their wishes can be acknowledged and honoured and also work with the transplanting centres to facilitate the organ donation process and provide support and information for the donor families.

Additionally the team delivers organ donation teaching to hospital-based staff, community-based staff, and to the wider public for example in schools, for different religious groups and the police force.

The aim of the OUH Tissue Co-ordination Service is to raise awareness of the choices that can be made with regard to tissue donation for transplantation and research. The majority of people can donate tissues for transplantation or research and the team works closely with the Trust’s Bereavement Services to ensure families are properly supported when making difficult decisions.

The team is based at the JR and deliver teaching and presentations to units, wards and staff across all four sites as well as coroners and any other interested services.

They offer a 24hr, seven days a week service and are contactable via the JR switchboard.

Contact us: The Organ Donation Team 24hr pager number – 07659 183499

Website www.nhsbt.nhs.uk

The Tissue Co-ordination Service via JR Switchboard Dial 0 (internally) or 01865 741166 (externally)

or find us on the intranet under organ and tissue donation

Chris Kearns (Clinical Lead Organ Donation)

Anaesthetic Consultant based on Neuro Intensive Care Unit. Chris leads the 24hr/365 day-a-year organ donation team which supports, teaches and develops organ donation within the Trust.

Katie Saunders (Specialist Nurse Organ Donation)

Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Unit (ITU) nursing background. Katie is based in ED and PICU, and is part of the team teaching and promoting organ donation within the Trust.

[email protected]

Rosanna Sharples (Specialist Nurse Organ Donation)

General ITU and cardiothoracic nursing background. Rosanna is based in Neuro ITU, AICU, CICU and CTCC and is part of the team ensuring that organ donation can be considered by all patients and their families as a part of end of life care.

[email protected]

Anne Stares (OUH Tissue Co-ordinator)

Coming from a background in Bereavement Services, Anne is part of a two person team that is responsible for promoting choice with regard to tissue donation throughout the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.

[email protected]

Vinod Motiani (OUH Tissue Co-ordinator)

Vinod has a background in medicine and embryology and joined the Tissue Co-ordination Service in January this year.

[email protected]

Meet the team – Organ and Tissue Donation


Congratulations KarenCongratulations to Karen Eley, who was awarded first prize at the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology in Leipzig, Germany, in September.

Karen was awarded the prize following her presentation entitled ‘Craniosynostosis and Black Bone’ MRI: an alternative to CT which was an aspect of her doctoral research project.

Be aware this ChristmasTrust security teams are urging patients, staff and visitors to be security aware. This message is even more pertinent as we approach the holiday season, with people buying presents and sharing gifts. Don’t give thieves the opportunity, don’t leave presents and valuables on view in your car or unsecured in your office/staff rooms.

Thieves can and will act upon even the smallest opportunities. Don’t leave anything to chance this Christmas – be security aware.

Further security advice can be found on the Security Intranet site, via the Estates and Facilities pages, or from Rachel Collins, Trust Security Manager/Local Security Management Specialist via OUH email or extension 21503.

Banbury Bambinos

Banbury Bambinos is a new parents group that meets the first Tuesday of every month.

The group meets at Age UK, White Lion Walk,

Banbury, OX16 5UD.

For more details call 01295 278040 or email

[email protected]

Come along at 10.30am-11.30am and have a coffee/tea and cake for

only £1.50

NOC appointed ‘Centre of Excellence’The NOC has been appointed a Centre of Excellence by Arthritis Research UK.

Professor Nigel Arden, from the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences explained: “It was felt there was a need for a centre bridging osteoarthritis with sport and exercise.” The centre will be working with other UK universities including Nottingham, Loughborough, Bath and other sporting centres.

One of the first projects will be a survey of all former English professional footballers of the last 40 years – involving around 50,000 people. The five-year programme is being funded by a £3m grant from Arthritis Research UK with an additional £8m from its partner universities.

Thank you to League of FriendsThe Churchill Hospital’s League of Friends has purchased an ultrasound scanning machine for use in the hospital’s operating theatres.

Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Peter Dimitrov explained that the Churchill theatres had only had access to one scanner, so having a second available would speed up operations, especially during busy periods.

Dr Dimitrov is very grateful to the League of Friends which has met the full cost of the equipment.

Maureen Comley, of the League of Friends, said: “We are only too happy to help purchase items that benefit many patients.”

Dr Dimitrov (right) is pictured with the new Sonosite S-Nerve scanner and volunteers from the Churchill Hospital League of Friends.


Theatres craned into placeThe Twin Theatre Complex at the NOC has been relocated by crane to the main theatre area on the site, as part of a project to increase theatre capacity there from six to eight.

The Twin Theatres, which were formerly operated by BMI Healthcare, will now be fully refurbished and equipped, as part of a project costing about £2.8m.

Estates manager Tony Hudgell has been overseeing the relocation and refurbishment which will allow the Trust to make better use of its theatres and get better value for money.

Procedures identified as being suitable for the Twin Theatres include Trauma elective lists (including soft tissue, hands and knees), ENT elective lists and simple neurosurgical procedures.

As well as allowing more orthopaedic surgery, the move will allow more efficient use of the Trust’s theatre capacity, including the introduction of 6/7-day operating, and increasing the scheduled length of lists to 12 hours.

The use of the NOC theatres will also allow the refurbishment of operating theatres on the John Radcliffe site.

November marked the first anniversary of the creation of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.

One year on, Chief Executive Sir Jonathan Michael says that the merger has delivered a more robust, resilient and effective organisation.

“The merger was a logical step, helping to take the organisation forward and creating a stronger integrated acute Trust. We are able to deliver greater collaboration across clinical teams and identify the best treatment options more quickly.”

For example, the Trust’s spinal service has been reconfigured to streamline both neurosurgical and orthopaedic surgery and establish a single referral route and clinical programme for non-emergency spinal referrals. Spinal surgeons are benefiting from improved access to theatres and support services across both the NOC and JR hospital sites.

Professor Andrew Carr, Divisional Director of the Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Division at the NOC, said: “We are able to provide a more flexible and responsive spinal service with improved access times for surgery. As a consequence of the merger we have been able to achieve the integration with closer working and sharing of resources.”

The Trust is hoping to achieve Foundation Trust status in the latter half of 2013.

Sir Jonathan added: “As a combined organisation, we have enhanced our ability to take forward plans to achieve Foundation Trust status. We are delighted that our recent public consultation has shown significant support for our plans from the local communities that we serve. We have more than 6,000 public members who will hold us to account and work with us to continually improve our services.”

Anniversary milestone for OUH

Sir Jonathan Michael and Professor Andrew

Carr outside the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.


Disability History MonthDisability History Month is from 22 November to 22 December 2012. This period includes the International Day of Persons with Disabilities which is on Monday 3 December.

The London 2012 Paralympics has already provided everyone with an arena for challenging stereotypes and recognising the sporting achievements of disabled athletes. Ensure the legacy of the Paralympics continues and ask what we and you can do to improve the lives of disabled people whether patients, staff or visitors to the Trust.

The social model of disabilityThe social model of disability says that disability is caused by the way society is organised, rather than by a person’s impairment or difference. It looks at ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices for people with a disability. When barriers are removed, disabled people can be independent and equal in society, with choice and control over their own lives.

Disabled people developed the social model of disability because the traditional medical model did not explain their personal experience of disability or help to develop more inclusive ways of living. Barriers are not just physical. Attitudes found in society, based on prejudice or stereotype, also disable people from having equal opportunities.

Did you know…?• There are 11 million disabled people in the UK; many of

us have, or will have, family and friends who are disabled.• By the end of our lives, almost half of us will be disabled.• For every 100 disabled people, only 17 have been born

with their impairment.• 6 in every 10 disabled people have a mobility impairment.• Many disabilities are not visible.*

Take actionAccess to physical facilities in your department, ward or area… • Are corridors kept clear, or partially blocked by

equipment?• Are accessible toilets truly accessible, or are they used

as a store room?• Do you need to remove any objects that have been left

there for storage?• Are doors easy to open, or do they require a lot of

strength?• Are reception desks at an appropriate height for all?• Are there suitable alternatives to stairs?• How far do we expect people to be able to walk?

‘Take a walk as a disabled patient’ entering the hospital and consider what might be problematic. What can you change today and what may require the intervention of others?

Access to information in your department, ward or area…• Do leaflets and letters contain simple language with basic

formatting?• Do you offer information in large font on a shaded

background?

• Are main patient leaflets in ‘Easy Read’ format?• Are signs to your services, department or ward, clear

and using consistent wording?• Are potential sources of information and help obvious to

everyone?• Have you checked that patients understand the

information you have given them?

If you need any assistance in identifying potential barriers for disabled people in your area/department contact Jan Cottle, Equality and Diversity Lead, who can undertake an audit with a volunteer and assist in identifying areas for improvement.

Staff with a disabilityWith the assistance of thousands of members of staff returning their Equality and Diversity Monitoring Forms this year, the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system has been updated. This sees a significant improvement in data and more reliable statistics. 3% of staff have reported that they have a disability. If you didn’t return a form or would like to provide updated information please use the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form available on the Intranet, under Human Resources, and return it to Martin Leja, ESR Team, HR, Carillion Building, JR.

Network for staff with a disabilityThe Trust is supporting the development of a network for staff with a disability. This could be an opportunity to hear about information and opportunities such as the Imperial College Calibre Leadership Programme, open for staff with a disability.

If you would like to get involved or have suggestions about the Network, please e-mail the following confidential email address: [email protected]

Incident Reporting FormsIf you have observed or been subjected to a discriminatory act at work, you should complete an Incident Reporting Form. Often this is the only way the Trust becomes aware that an inappropriate incident has occurred. If in doubt report it.

Contacts: Jan Cottle and Vicki Parsons

More information:OUH Equality, Diversity and Human Rights intranet site.UK Disability History Month website: www.ukdisabilityhistorymonth.comThe Equality and Human Rights Commission: www.equalityhumanrights.comMy Life My Choice: www.mylifemychoice.org.ukMENCAP: www.mencap.org.ukAutism Oxford: www.autismoxford.org.ukMS Society: www.mssociety.org.ukMental health: MIND: www.mind.org.ukDeaf Direct: www.deafdirect.org.ukOxfordshire Association for the Blind: www.oxeyes.org.ukHeadway: www.headway.org.ukAlzheimers Society: www.alzheimers.org.uk*Statistics taken from www.scope.org.uk


OUH Smoking Awareness DayOxfordshire Smoking Advice Service is holding an Awareness Day across the Trust on Tuesday 11 December aiming to highlight the support, training and resources that it can provide to enable the Trust to meet the needs of patients who smoke.

Resource packs will be available for each ward, which will include leaflets, posters and referral forms as well as fact sheets and information regarding the training that can be provided to individual wards.

Please come along to find out more and to pick up a resource pack for your department. A member of the Smoking Advice Service team will be at the following locations between 09:30am-2:00pm on 11 December.

John Radcliffe – Women’s Centre, George Pickering Education Centre, West Wing beside Starbucks

Churchill – Canteen

Horton – Canteen and Maternity Department

NOC – Front Atrium

Please grab a coffee and come for a chat to find out how Oxfordshire Smoking Advice Service can help you to help your patients who smoke…whether they are ready to quit or not!

Dr Hatton awarded for his work A doctor from the Churchill Hospital has been honoured by a cancer charity for his work to improve the care and support of people with lymphoma, the UK’s fifth most common cancer.

Dr Chris Hatton, Director of Clinical Haematology at the Churchill, won a Beacons of Hope Award at the Lymphoma Association’s annual awards ceremony, held in central London on Thursday 13 September.

The ceremony took place during Lymphatic Cancer Awareness Week (10-16 September), which aims to raise awareness of lymphoma and its symptoms – a painless lump or swelling (often in the neck, armpit or groin), persistent itching, unusual tiredness and excessive sweating, especially at night.

The event was hosted by BBC Radio 4 announcer and newsreader Rory Morrison. A citation he read out at the awards said: “Dr Hatton has been actively involved with the Association as a trustee and member of the Medical Advisory Panel for over 10 years, and has played a key role throughout this time.”

In September, Oxford’s Children’s Hospital played host to three life-sized Olympic statues in Gold, Silver and Bronze and Olympic medal making workshops.

The statues were made in the Ashmolean Museum in family drop-in workshops as part of Artweeks and involved over 200 families over two days. Since then the statues had been on display in different locations around Oxford before arriving at the Children’s Hospital.

The project was run by local artist Francesca Shakespeare with the statues created by using a body mould from Madame Tussaud’s. They were then gilded and decorated with children’s drawings before being mounted on plinths made by students from d’Overbroeck’s College.

During the time that the statues were based at the Children’s Hospital, Francesca held workshops, available to children on the wards, where they could design and make their own Olympic medals in their own boxes to take home with them.

Gold, Silver and Bronze for the Children’s hospital


Neurosciences Dignity DayThe Neurosciences team at the Neuro Inpatient Ward (NIPS) held a second Dignity Action Day in September at the John Radcliffe.

With the theme of ‘Taking The Time’, the event was intended to:

• raise awareness of the importance of Dignity in Care

• provide someone with an extra special day

• remind society that everyone has a role to play in respecting the dignity of others

• be part of a national celebration and demonstrate solidarity for Dignity in Care.

The team hosted a drop-in day for staff, patients and relatives, offering tea, cake and a chance to chat and share ideas in order to improve patients’ experiences of dignity in care.

Senior Staff Nurse Kat Cane said: “We had a similar event earlier in the year, and the feedback was really positive – in fact we found it quite inspiring. And it’s always nice to get people together.”

Dignity Action Day is a national initiative led by the Dignity in Care Campaign and its key partners to bring staff and members of the public together to make a difference to those in care.

New Counter Fraud Service providerThe Trust has a new Local Counter Fraud Specialist, Mish Chauhan, employed by the new service provider KPMG. He is your first point of call for anything fraud related at the Trust.

To report your concerns or suspicions of fraud call Mish on 07767 437005 or 0121 609 5893 the fraud and corruption reporting line on 0800 028 4060.

Fraud Awareness week is being held at the Trust during 14-18 January 2013.

Fraud is a growing crime in the UK and the Trust is committed to keeping fraud to a minimum and deterring fraud where possible. Mish Chauhan will be out and about during Fraud Awareness Week talking to staff, distributing leaflets and information. Mish and his team of specialists are also available to attend team/department meetings or staff forums during this week to talk about fraud risks.

Please contact Mish on 0121 609 5893 or email [email protected] if you would like a short presentation to your staff.

Look out for our posters and stands across all Trust sires:

Horton General Hospital – Main Entrance – Wednesday 16 January 2013 – 9.30am - 10.30am

John Radcliffe Hospital – ‘Onthree’ Restaurant, Level 3 – Wednesday 16 January 2013 – 12.00pm - 1.30pm

Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre – Main Entrance – Wednesday 16 January 2013 – 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Churchill Hospital – Main Cancer Centre Entrance – Wednesday 16 January 2013 – 3.00pm - 4.00pm

Car Lease SchemeWe are pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new staff car lease scheme called mycar, which enables you to acquire a brand new car through salary sacrifice.

To ensure that the scheme meets our green strategy, employees who join the scheme can choose almost any model on the market with a CO2 level of 120g/km or less, on a two or three year lease basis in return for exchanging an amount of salary equal to the lease costs.

Salary exchange means that you do not have to pay tax or National Insurance contributions on the amount that you exchange, which can represent a considerable saving.

Restrictions apply so please refer to the Staff Room pages of the Intranet for further information.


Delivering Compassionate Excellence

Listening into Action (LiA)You may have recently received a copy of a four-page supplement with a round up of all the activities happening across the Trust designed to enable us all to Deliver Compassionate Excellence. If not, a copy can be downloaded from the OUH intranet site under Delivering Compassionate Excellence. Thank you to those staff who took the time to fill in the online, anonymous Staff Pulse Check. The results are similar to that of other acute trusts but the goal is to be even better than other trusts and make sure all staff feel engaged, listened to, and involved in day to day decisions about their working environment. More information about Listening into Action and the ‘First Ten Teams’ can be found on the intranet site http://ouh.oxnet.nhs.uk/DeliveringCompassionate Excellence/Pages/Default.aspx.

Trust BehavioursA new leaflet has been circulated to staff and new starters entitled ‘Delivering Compassionate Excellence – our values, standards and behaviours’. Together we have developed our values to reflect how we behave and the decisions we take to deliver the best possible healthcare. Staff have told us that these values can be delivered by adhering to the following standards of care which we would expect all staff to do.

• Treat everyone with dignity and respect

• Treat others as you would expect yourself to be treated

• Think about the needs of others and listen to patients

• Deliver care in a compassionate way• Respect everyone’s time• Take pride in your hospital and

present a positive outlook• Support people through difficult

situations• Listen and learn from mistakes• Challenge bias, discrimination,

prejudice and intolerance• Celebrate success together and

acknowledge the good things that people do• Set fair, realistic and achievable standards• Work with patients and

our partners to achieve excellence in our care and health outcomes• Make sure that confidential information is kept safe• Always present a professional approach and appearance

What we don’t accept:

• Forgetting that patients always come first

• Bullying, harassment or discrimination in any form

• Not thinking about the impact of your actions on colleagues

• Rudeness or aggression

Staff Recognition One of the ideas to come out of the listening exercises that were held with staff over the summer was that more could be done to acknowledge staff contributions and efforts.

This is one of the reasons why the Staff Recognition Awards were launched – Recognising Compassionate Excellence. The response we received has been very enthusiastic with more than 240 entries. Thank you to all staff who took the time to nominate colleagues for these annual awards. A panel judged the nominations, which was chaired by a Non-Executive Director with representatives from a range of stakeholders across the Trust including staff-side representation. Invited nominees will attend a celebration event on Wednesday 12 December 2012.

Staff Survey

Thank you to all staff who took the time to complete a questionnaire. Your feedback is really important to make sure we are doing as much as we can in supporting staff to Deliver Compassionate Excellence.

Look out for the results in the spring!

OUH News – your bi-monthly newsletter with news from around the John Radcliffe Hospital, Horton General Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Churchill Hospital.

Look out for the next edition of OUH News which will be out in February 2013. If you have news from your team or department that you would like to be featured please contact Kelly Dodgson in the Media and Communications Unit

on 01865 231471 or email [email protected] Deadline for copy is end of December 2012.

Interesting sculpture visits the West Wing AtriumThursday 11 October saw an exciting addition to the West Wing Atrium at the John Radcliffe Hospital with the installation of the Big Book – a leather-bound wood sculpture approximately 2.2 metres high.

Entitled ‘Imagine’ and created by local artist Diana Bell, the Big Book explores the vast scope of human imagination by asking people to write anything they imagine directly in the Book.

During the opening ceremony, a crowd of young patients, parents and staff watched fascinated as Emma Ramano emerged from the book dancing to ethereal music from Reykjavík band Sigur Rós.

A young patient in the Oxford Children’s Hospital, was among the first to add his thoughts to the book.

The sculpture originally made its debut in Oxford and has been exhibited in London, Bonn and Berlin – it contains thoughts in 77 languages. It was on display in the West Wing until 16 October.

Further information on other installations by Diana Bell which involve public participation can be found at www.dianabell.co.uk. The Big Book was installed in the West Wing courtesy of Pickfords.

Working at London 2012Nadeem Khan, Clinical Educator in the Adult Intensive Care Unit tells OUH News about his experience…

I applied to be a volunteer at the London 2012 Olympic Games a couple of years ago and the selections process itself took over a year. I was very excited when I found out I was selected as a first responder which involved responding to any minor

or major medical emergency in the North Greenwich Area where I was based.

I was part of the medical team including nurses and doctors and commuted daily from Oxford to London for a 10 hour shift.

This was truly the best experience of my life and I worked with some amazing people from different parts of the world. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am very proud to be part of it.

The Fracture Prevention Service at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre marked its first anniversary in November and has so far seen 2,100 patients.

The team, comprising five nurses and Clinical Lead Dr Kassim Javaid, aims to see and assess all patients aged over 50 who have had a ‘low-trauma’ fracture – usually a fall from less than 6ft – and have been treated at the John Radcliffe or Horton General hospitals. The team works in conjunction with the Trauma Unit in identifying patients. Specialist Nurse Kerri Rance explained: “We see patients on the wards and work closely with the Geratology teams, and we also case-find from Outpatients.

Not every patient who is seen will need treatment, but those who do are contacted again after three and 12 months to see how they are managing any medication or other elements of their treatment plan.

Treatment can involve advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle, through to drugs to strengthen bones, halving the risk of fractures in the future.

The team is already seeing anecdotal evidence of fracture rates improving, and work is under way to carry out a satisfaction survey among patients.

Update on The Fracture Prevention Service at the NOC

oxford university hospitals · anne marie van es – winner patient safety award andrew woodhouse...

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